legalize

/ˈliːɡəlaɪz/

//ˈliːɡəlaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"legalize" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“legalize” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,688. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,688
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make legal or permit under law. Either by decriminalising something that has been illegal or by specifically permitting it.

Corpus desk

Index EN-legalize · legalize · English

legalize · rank #20,688 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #20,688
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lazarus

Nearest frequency peer: Lazarus (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “legalize”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “legalize” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

legalize vs legality
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for legalize
PropertyValue
Headwordlegalize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈliːɡəlaɪz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#20,688
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “legalize”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).legalizelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Lazarus” (#20,687), “Lansing” (#20,686), “Libby” (#20,690). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “legalize” is #20,688. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around legalize (IPA /ˈliːɡəlaɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #20,688 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To make legal or permit under law. Either by decriminalising something that has been illegal or by specifically permitting it.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for legalize, with forms such as "elgalize", "leaglize", and "legailze". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "legality", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From legal + -ize. Piecewise doublet of loyalize. The correct English form is legalize, spelled L-E-G-A-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make legal or permit under law. Either by decriminalising something that has been illegal or by specifically permitting it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how legalize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. There is a debate whether or not to legalize some of the softer drugs.
  2. This is true despite the fact that in 1986, the federal government legalized the cashability of RRSP annuities.

Etymology

From legal + -ize. Piecewise doublet of loyalize.

Synonyms

legitimate

Antonyms

criminalizeillegalize

This word in other languages

dépénaliser(Français)legalisieren(Deutsch)legalizar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elgalize
  • leaglize
  • legailze
  • legaliez
  • legalizze
  • legallize
  • legalzie
  • leggalize
  • leglaize
  • lgealize
  • llegalize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of legalize - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

elgalize2leaglize2legailze2legaliez2legalizze1legallize1legalzie2leggalize1
Edit distance from "legalize"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "legalize"?
"legalize" is spelled L-E-G-A-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈliːɡəlaɪz/.
What does "legalize" mean?
As a verb, "legalize" means: To make legal or permit under law. Either by decriminalising something that has been illegal or by specifically permitting it.
What words are commonly confused with "legalize"?
"legalize" is commonly confused with "legality". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "legalize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "legalize" is /ˈliːɡəlaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "legalize"?
From legal + -ize. Piecewise doublet of loyalize. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "legalize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

meditate#20,705overcame#20,728Gertrude#20,647paternal#20,731

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Lansing11 variantshumbled11 variantshowling11 variantsfledged11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list